Flood, landslide fatalities in Vietnam surge to 77

HANOI, Oct. 19, 2017 (BSS/Xinhua) – Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in Vietnam’s northern and central regions since early last week have killed 77 local people.

They have also left 26 local people missing, and injured 38 others,
Vietnam’s Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on Thursday.

The 77 fatalities included 26 people in northern Hoa Binh province, 17 in northern Yen Bai province, 16 in central Thanh Hoa province, nine in central Nghe An province, six in northern Son La province, two in Hanoi capital, and one in central Quang Tri province.

In the coming days, flash floods and landslides are forecast to hit
mountainous areas in Vietnam’s central highlands regions, said the committee.

In Hoa Binh’s Tan Lac district last Thursday, a landslide buried 18 local people, including infants, from four families, the committee said, noting that by Wednesday, all the 18 bodies had been found.

Since mid-June, flash floods and landslides have killed or left missing 148 Vietnamese people, and caused property losses of over 3,000 billion Vietnamese dong (132.7 million U.S. dollars), the committee said.